My Favorite High Sun Protection Face Powder, Point Magic Pro SPF 50+ PA++++ Pressed Powder

On skin, it has a very natural finish and the advertised blurring effect on wrinkles and pores is real, especially up close. Closer than 5 feet I wouldn't say it looks superior to many other excellent powders I've used. But perhaps ten feet away, it really does have a blurring smoothing effect! It is so strange, and I love it so much. I think it is just as beautiful on the skin as other high SPF powders I've tried that cost 3, 4, 5 times as much. 

It comes in 3 shades, 01, 02 and 03. I got the palest shade which is O1. It is still a little too warm and a little bit too dark for me.

It comes in a little cute compact, with a nice inset mirror and high quality velour puff.

Ratings: SPF 50+ PA++++

Cost/Value: $7-15 / cheap/reasonable price

Claims: Moisturizing & pore blurring powder 

Active sunscreen filter: Zinc Oxide and Octinoxate.

Ingredients (Good): Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolysed Collagen, Alendula extract, Japanese Rose extract, Chamomile extract, Artemisia extract, Arnica extract, Argan Oil and Vitamin C.

Ingredients (Bad): Talc- some people prefer to avoid talc in their cosmetics, though I personally do not believe it to be problematic.

This pressed powder does not achieve a matte look. It has 2 ingredients, Synthetic Fluorophlogopite and Mica, which are specifically intended to give this powder a little bit of shine and little bit of life and a natural skin like texture. If you are going for that super matte, super powdered look, you can't get it from this powder.

If you are bothered by even minimal scent maybe this is not the product for you. It has a mild baby powder type scent.

How I use it: In the morning, I set my face with whatever beautiful powder I feel will be flattering for me that day. If I know I am going to be outside all day, I like to use a high SPF setting powder like this, or if my makeup starts sliding off my face during the day when I am getting oily, I love to use a high SPF powder or powder foundation for touching up. After all, if my make-up is starting to come off, the sunscreen underneath must be coming off as well.

While SPF powder and  SPF make-up in general cannot substitute for sunscreen, when you are setting your make-up or touching up in the middle of the day; that extra sun-protection factor cant hurt.

The weaknesses of this product:

1. This powder can't be buffed into skin like many powder or mineral foundations. It looks best tapped onto skin. 

2. This powder will cake up if you overapply. It is good for multiple touch-ups over the course of the day, but if you apply too much initially, or overaggressively blend it over the skincare and makeup products already on your face, it will start to look cakey.

3. It is not great for sucking up oil. It is OK as touch up powder, but not near the best I have ever used. If you use this to touch up, it's best if you first blot your face and then apply this powder. Don't expect the powder to do all the work.

On balance, I think the super high sun protection ratings, very low price and beautiful blurring effect more than make up for the small shade range and inability to mattify skin. I very highly recommend this powder!

Sunscreen Review: Algenist Sublime Defense Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50

Hello Field Bunnies! This week I tried the Algenist Sublime Defense Ultra Lightweight UV Defense Fluid SPF 50 Sunscreen. I've been on a Sephora kick and have really liked certain skincare products by Algenist, so I thought I would give their higher protection sunscreen a shot (they also sell an SPF 30 moisturizer).

Claims: Oil free, sheer and has a soft matte finish

Ingredients (Good): Algae extract, Echinacea extract, Vitamin E, Camellia leaf extract, Bearberry extract and Licorice root extract.

Ingredients (Bad): Alcohol Denat

Ratings: Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Cost/Value: $28 (1fl. oz) / expensive sunscreen

It is a Combination Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are 7.5% Octinoxate, 2% Titanium Dioxide and 17.1% Zinc Oxide.

It did NOT smell.

It did NOT sting my eyes.

It did NOT gather in my wrinkles.

It DOES leave a white cast on my skin. It took me 3-4 days on how to figure out how to apply it in a way where I had an adequately thick sunscreen film, yet it was even enough to sheer out on my face without white traces and patches. It does blend out, it just takes quite a bit of practice.  I can only get away with wearing this by itself because I already have very pale skin, and if you look twice, you can still see it on me.

It DOES dry down in 20 minutes or less. It dries down in around 15 minutes to a transfer proof finish.

It DOES look good under make up. However, it does slightly mattify whatever foundation you put over it. 

It DOES stay throughout the day.

Due to Denat Alcohol being so high in the ingredients list, this is a slightly drying sunscreen. It didn't bother me when I applied it initially, and it didn't bother me throughout the day. It didn't affect my make-up visibly over the course of the day. However, at the end of the day when I removed my make-up, I noticed that my skin felt a bit tight and dry. I also had some flaking on my chin which is typically a dry area for me. For that reason, I would not recommend this for dry skin or even normal to dry skin. It is best suited for oily skin or normal to oily skin.

It has runny and milky texture. After the application in 20 minutes, it is matte and sheer.

I am a little bit torn whether or not I would recommend this sunscreen. On one hand, on its merits, I would recommend this. It is very elegant, easy to use and easy to wear under make up. On the other hand, $28 for 1fl oz, is expensive. 

Sunscreen Review: Cerave Face Lotion SPF 50

SO Cerave Face Lotion SPF 50 . . . Just another mediocre sunscreen in my opinion. I simply can't wait for the FDA to get with the times in the US. Hope you have a beautiful day! #SUNSCREENSUNDAY FIND ME ON INSTA! (art, antiques, not relly beauty stuff honestly!) genevieve_fields

Claims: Light weight, Oil free, water resistant up to 80 minutes, Ceramide to moisturise and niacinamide to lift discoloration. It also features Cerave trademarked, "invisible ZInc". 

Ratings: Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Cost/Value: $15 (2 fl oz) / Cheap to fair price. 

It is a 100% Physical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are 3.67% Titanium Dioxide and 3.5% Zinc Oxide.

It DOES smell. It had a little bit of classic zinc odour.

It did NOT sting my eyes.

It DOES leave a white cast on my skin. It has a strong, patchy finish. You have to apply it perfectly evenly in the first place. But even when you do, it is one of the ugliest finishes I have ever seen in the sunscreen. Invisible zinc, it is the most outrageous claim.

It DOES gather in my wrinkles. 

It DOES dry down in 20 minutes or less. It dries down within 10 minutes but it never achieves a totally transfer proof dry finish. It stays soft throughout the day.

It did NOT wear well under make up. It is absolutely hideous under make-up. The texture and the white cast is outrageous.

It DOES last well throughout the day, if you are extremely careful not to touch it. Because it is soft and easy to transfer easily, it is too easy to wipe this off to your face in places just doing normal everyday things like scratching your nose and moving your hair out of your eye. This comes off way too easily in my opinion.

Texture: You have to shake it up a bit and after applying it in to even sunscreen film it leaves a white cast. After 20 minutes, the sunscreen looks more white. This one dries, cracked and flakes off.  It is not particularly drying or moisturizing, it sort of the same on everybody. 

I would not recommend it to anyone. If you are looking for a 100% mineral sunscreen that is attractive for daily wear, this is not it. It is the most obvious sunscreen I have ever worn. I understand it is widely available reasonably price sunscreen however, even extremely sensitive skin types (that can only tolerate physical sunscreens) can just do better than this.

Sunscreen Review: Avène Very High Protection Emulsion Sunscreen SPF 50+

Claims: 100% Photo stable ingredients, very water resistant, hypo allergenic, non-acne genic and dry touch

Ratings: SPF 50+ and features UVA seal

Cost/Value: $15-33 (50 ml) depending on where you buy it / reasonable price

It is 100% Chemical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are Tinosorb M, Tinosorb S, Uvasorb HEB and Avobenzone.

It DOES smell. A little bit of floral fragrance.

It DOES sting in my eyes on my first application. It irritates them for about 5 minutes and after that, it disappeared and did not bother me for the rest of the day.

It DOES leaves a white cast on my skin. The finish of this sunscreen is white, patchy and dry.  It is impossible to correct after initial application without removing patches of product and disturbing the sunscreen film.

It DOES gather in my wrinkles. 

It DOES dry down in 20-25 minutes. 

It did NOT wear well under make-up. It is literally the ugliest I ever worn under make-up. It looks terrible immediately. 

It did NOT last throughout the day. This sunscreen dried up on me and started peeling and flaking off by itself, despite the fact that I was wearing make-up over it. I think because one of the ingredients in this is Potassium Cetyl Phospate, which is actually a cleansing agent, it will dry up and remove whatever is on your face.

This is marketed to works to combination to oily skin. My skin is dry to normal with an active T-Zone, that becomes oily over the course of the day. Perhaps on somebody with truly oily skin, this would have looked equally terrible upon initial application, but lasted better over the course of the day. I am not going to give it a pass though, because on my oiliest areas (like my nose) this was still peeling and cracking just a few hours in.

It has light texture and after applying it, it leaves a white uneven cast. After 20 minutes, it was very dry and matte.

Sunscreen Review: Paula's Choice RESIST Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50

Happy #SUNSCREENSUNDAY ! Today I cover the Paula's Choice Resist Youth Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50. LAWD that is a long name for a sunscreen! So there's a LOT of hype about Paula's Choice products; I use some of them and believe I've read eery single article on her website AND beautypedia.

Ingredients (Good): Glycerine, Vitamin E, Oat Bran Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract, Grapeseed Extract,  Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Black Elderberry Fruit Extract, Pomegranate Extract and Goji Berry Extract.

Claims: Water Light Oil Free and Hydrating, minimizes pores and stimulates collagen renewal.

Ratings: Broad Spectrum SPF 50 and it's been awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation seal for daily use.

Cost/Value: $33 (2 fl oz) / Fair value

It is 100% Chemical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are 2% Avobenzone, 7.5% Octinoxate, 5% Octisalate and 2% Octocrylene.

It DOES smell. It has that classic chemical sunscreen smell.

It DOES sting my eyes. The irritation and tearing started immediately after application and lasted on and off for 7 hours.

It did NOT leave a white cast in my skin. It becomes completely sheer after a few minutes after application.

It did NOT gather in my wrinkles.

It did NOT dry down in 20 minutes or less. It does sink into skin somewhat and maintains a soft , slightly oily consistency throughout the day.

It DOES look great under make-up. 

It DOES last throughout the day. However with the 100% chemical sunscreen like this, reapplication every 2-3 hours (particularly if you are spending the day in direct sunlight) is really necessary.

It is best suited for normal, combination and oily skin.However, if you are choosing this because it's advertised for oily skin there's probably a better choice out there for you- this is not mattifying or drying. Also, avobenzone is so problematic for so many people, if you ever had any reactions to sunscreen in the past, I would skip this sunscreen. 

I would not recommend nor repurchase this sunscreen. The irritation was really bad for me. All of those plant extracts, don't make up for that. If you are going to buy a sunscreen with these 100% chemical relatively cheap active ingredients, rather than buying a mid-range expensive sunscreen with lots of plant extracts like this, I would buy a super cheap sunscreen with around the same formula and invest the difference into a decent bargain price Vitamin C serum. That would provide you all the power of anti-oxidants that all of those plant extracts are supposed to provide. 

Sunscreen Review: Holika Holika Moisture Sun Gel SPF 50+ PA++++

Hello Field Bunnies! This week I try to keep it together to review the Holika Holika Moisture Sun Gel. On some websites it's called the Dazzling Sun Gel. Maybe their eyes were reacting so badly they were seeing things? Hope you enjoy! Have a beautiful day! Find me on insta!

Claims: Holika Holika Trademark Patent Signature Fruit UV Shield (a combination of 6 fruit extracts - tomato, watermelon, grapefruit, orange, apricot and papaya), Vitamin E and Hyaluronic Acid.

Ratings: SPF 50+ PA++++

Cost/Value: $9-$12 (50 ml) depending on where you buy it / Cheap

It is a Combination Sunscreen that leans heavenly to chemical side. Its active ingredients are Octinoxate, Homosalate, Octisalate, Uvinul A Plus and Titanium Dioxide. When I said heavily leaning to chemical side, I mean that Titanium Dioxide is one of the last ingredients by weight,  similar to the amount used in a foundation with no SPF at all.

It DOES sting my eyes. This is the most painful sunscreen I have ever tried. It caused reddening, tearing and swelling. I have to washed it off within an hour of putting it on. The combination of Octosalate, Homosalate and alcohol being the second ingredient by weight in this sunscreen plus unnecessary fruit extracts and additional fragrance was literally a poisonous combination for me.

It did NOT gather in my under eye wrinkles.

It did NOT leave a white cast in my skin. It is completely sheer.

It DOES dry down in 20 minutes or less. It sets with sticky texture.

It DOES wear well under make up. This has a beautiful texture that doesn't affect my make-up.

As I said, I washed off my upper face after in less than an hour of application. I did leave the rest on my face. My face felt warm, even though it wasn't painful as my eyes were. There is something in it that really irritated my skin all throughout the day. And it felt so sticky.

I would not recommend this to anyone. 

Sunscreen Review: Tom Ford Face Protect Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Happy Sunscreen Sunday! So today I cover the Tom Ford Face Protect SPF 50. I was surprised to find this sunscreen has different ingredients from Estee Lauder's DayWear, but unfortunately unsurprised that I liked it about as much. I did just see Nocturnal Animals though, and thought that was excellent!

Claims: Face Primer with high sun protection factor, includes powerful anti-oxidants and anti-irritants, light-weight, fast absorbing and illuminating

Ingredients: Algae Extract, Kukui Seed Oil, Round Seaweed Extract, Chinese Skullcap, Caffeine, Hyaluronic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Vitamin E and Vitami C. It also has a bit of Mica in it.

Ratings: Broad Spectrum SPF 50

Cost/Value: $75 (1 fl oz) / the most expensive sunscreen I have ever worn.

It is a 100 % Chemical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are 3% Avobenzone, 5% Homosalate, 5% Octisalate, 2.8% Octocrylene and 3% Oxybenzone.

It DOES sting my eyes. This migrated in to my eyes within 40 minutes of application. It is quite irritating for between an hour or an hour and half. After that, it seems to settle down a little bit and did not bother me as much throughout the day.  

It DOES smell. It has a strong sunscreen smell but it also a very strong perfume smell on top of that. If you are sensitive to smell, I would skip this as it has a very strong scent.

It did NOT leave a white cast in my skin. This is completely sheer.

It did NOT gather in my wrinkles. 

It did NOT dry down in 20 minutes or less. This has a thick and oily consistency on skin. While it does sink into skin somewhat throughout the day, it does not dry down or set. Even hours later, it looks like you just applied baby oil on your face and easily transferred.

It did NOT wear well under make-up. And it shocked me as it is marketed as a primer. 
I tried this with a flat paddle shape foundation brush and my fingers and found that worked in some areas. But in other areas that require a little bit more agitation, for example the hairline or around the nose, this peeled up under my foundation terribly. Because it is so thick and oily, it made my foundations' thinner and more sticky than they typically are.

You cannot couple it with a dewey foundation or BB cream, as it is already way too oily. The last thing about this sunscreen under make up, is that it has so much mica in it. It looks like you just applied a layer of baby oil to your face, it is that shiny. And also because it is mica, it doesn't have a golden or pink reflect. It actually has a blue white reflect. That strong blue white reflect does show through foundations. If you have a dry, lifeless, super matte, super thick, theatrical foundation that you are trying to give a little life to, this sunscreen will do that. The mica will shine through that foundation. 

It DOES stick around throughout the day. However, with 100% chemical sunscreens like these it is recommended that you reapply every 2 or 3 hours. 

Because it has a very particular finish in the face, it looks the same one everyone. I would not recommend this if you typically react poorly to chemical sunscreens. Avobenzone is the main sunscreen filter in this sunscreen, and it is the most frequent cause of allergic reactions to sunscreens.

I would not recommend this sunscreen. It is just a poor value that irritated my eyes.

Sunscreen Review: Canmake Tokyo Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++

Bilberries . . . artichoke leaf extract . . . arginine . . . but how does this Canmake Mermaid Skin UV Gel perform?? Personally, I really enjoyed trying this sunscreen! SPF 50+ PA++++ as usual . . . hope you enjoy! Have a beautiful day! #SUNSCREENSUNDAY

Claims: Water-light gel formula

Ingredients (Good): Moisturising alcohol, Ceramide, Arginine, Hyaluronic Acid, Jojoba Ester and Silver Oxide. It also includes a lot of plant extracts, intending to serve as anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant agents. The extracts are Yoshino Cherry Leaf, Saxifraga Sarmentosa, Job’s Tears Seed, White Mulberry Root, Evening  Primrose Seed, Meadow Seed  and Artichoke Leaf. 

Ratings: SPF 50+ PA++++

Cost/Value: $10-$22 (40 grams) depending on where you buy it / not a great value however it is a great sunscreen and worth buying.

It is a Combination Sunscreen: Its active ingredients are Octinoxate, Uvinul A Plus, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide and Tinosorb-S.

It did NOT smell.

It did NOT sting my eyes.

It did NOT gather in my wrinkles.

It did NOT leave a white cast in my skin. This is one of the most sheer sunscreens I have ever tried upon initial application. 

It did NOT dry down in 20minutes or less. It sinks into skin in 40-50 minutes. This has a very soft and lightweight texture that doesn't set but it is not sticky or greasy. Because of its texture, it continues to be absorbed by skin throughout the day. 

Because of its lightweight and soft texture, I personally worry a bit about wearing it under makeup. I worry that it will be completely absorbed by my skin in a couple of hours, or move around too easily while I am applying my foundation and give me uneven protection. When I overapply to compensate, it does look good under makeup. It doesn't affect the consistency or colour of foundation. And because of slight smoothing and priming effect, it helps out a bit with any texture issues.

It does NOT wear well throughout the day. This is soft and very light-weight texture. When I am wearing it alone, I like to reapply it at least once or twice depending on if I am out all day. 

This is best suited for dry to normal skin, and not advisable to oily skin or oily combination skin.

 I really like this sunscreen. I have to sort through all of my sunscreen and rank them, however I believe this is in the top 10. It is clearly not the sort of thing you can wear it outside, hiking or running. But in terms of an everyday , winter, going to work sunscreen, this is really beautiful. I would highly recommend it.

Suncreen Review: Rohto SUNPLAY Super Block with SolarPlex-3, SPF 130 PA++++

Hello Field Bunnies! So I have never tried one of these ultra-high SPF labelled sunscreens before and I wanted to see what the hype was all about. I thought Rohto's SunPlay Super Block SPF 130 PA++++ would be a good place to start because I am familiar with other sunscreens in their SunPlay line and wanted to see how the ingredients, finish and endurance compared.

Claims: Alcohol Free, Hyaluronic Acid, Vitamin E, MAP, Rohto's Patented Solar-Plex 3 Encapsulation Technology, Mentholatum (but you cannot feel or smell it).

What is MAP: Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, a stable water soluble derivative of Vitamin C, when worn in combination with sunscreen, can multiply the sun protection factor or SPF by between 3 and 5 times

What is Rohtos Patented Solar Lex 3 Encapsulation Technology: proprietary ingredients  coat the “sunscreen filters” to create a smooth even film over skin, rather than sinking into the pores.

RATING: SPF 130 PA++++

COST & VALUE: $15-16 (35 grams) depending on where you buy it / Fairly priced

IT'S A COMBO SUNSCREEN: Its active ingredients are Octinoxate, Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide and Uvinul A Plus.

SMELL: It did NOT smell.

STING: It did NOT sting my eyes.

WHITE CAST: YES, it DOES leaves a strong white cast, it also catches any texture or peach fuzz. I found that letting it set for 25-30 minutes before going in with very light downward blending strokes, I was able to get a more sheer look without ruining the sunscreen film or removing too much of it. However, that was a delicate, time consuming process. 

WRINKLES: YES, It DOES gather in my wrinkles. 

DRY DOWN: It did NOT dry down in 20 minutes or less. Since there is no alcohol in it, there is really nothing to help it dry down. It sets a bit in 30-40 minutes, but it remains very fluid, easy to accidentally wipe away or sweat off. It doesn't stick to the skin very well.

MAKEUP: Because it so fluid, I am not entirely comfortable wearing it under make up. I feel like inevitably with even a delicate application of make-up, this sunscreen will move around and your face will be unprotected. 

ENDURANCE: Because it is so fluid, it doesn't wear well throughout the day. It's also absorbed by skin over the course of the day. It is advisable to reapply it every 4 or 5 hours.

SKIN TYPE: It suited for dry and sensitive skin. Because it moisturizes skin throughout the day and because there is no alcohol in it, it is appropriate for sensitive skin and broken skin. If you suffer from acne, eczema, psoriasis or even sunburn this will not create an additional inflammation in your skin. if you have combination or oily skin, this would not be practical sunscreen for you due to its oily finish, and how the sunscreen tends to move and slide around. 

You have to shake it before using, it has runny texture. As it dries down, it really doesn't sheer out. It lasts on skin for 3-5 hours before totally absorbing. It has strong white cast and it catches on any little hair and pores that you have.

Sunscreen Review: Australian Gold Botanical SPF 50 Lotion

Claims: Eco-conscious, Hypo-Allergenic, Anti-Oxidant Rich, Water-resistant (80 minutes) and UVA/UVB Protection

Ingredients: Shea Butter, Eucalyprus Leaf Extract, Red Algae Extract, Kakadu Plum Extract, Vitamin E and Squalene

Ratings: SPF 50

Cost/Value: $15 or $16 (5 oz) / Cheap price for a high quality mineral sunscreen

It is 100% Physical Sunscreen. Its active ingredients are 4% Titanium Dioxide and 4% Zinc Oxide.

It DOES smell like Cocoa butter. It advertised having a "Citrus Oasis Fragrance", which did not smell like any citrus fruits to me! It does have an artificial perfumey type smell. Fragrance is halfway down the ingredients list, which is rather high. If you are sensitive to fragrance, that could be a cause for concern.

It did NOT sting my eyes.

It did NOT settle under my eye wrinkles. It actually looks really beautiful all around the eyes.

It DOES leaves an extremely strong white cast on my skin. Despite having a strong white cast, this is possibly the smoothest, most even, least greasy finish I have encountered. It is not patchy at all, and gives you enough time to blend it and smooth it out perfectly evenly. This does what a lot of texture correcting primers should do, as long as you don't mind  a strong white cast. 

It DOES dry down within 20 minutes. It dries down into a firm, smooth finish that doesn't peel or flake when lightly agitated. It is difficult to disturb and I love that about it.

It DOES sit well under make up. I love this undermake up for 2 reasons:

1. The firm barrier that I just mentioned. The way it sets gives me enough confidence to use foundation brushes. The finish of this sunscreen is thick enough and stiff enough that it can accept very light circular buffing motions. 

2. The impenetrable barrier between your skin and the outside world helps makeup last longer. It actually has a little bit of mattifying effect on foundation without drying it out, as natural oils are sort of contained throughout the day. Wearing this sunscreen can prolong the wear time of some of my foundations by as much as four or five hours before they require a little powder touch up.

It DOES wear well throughout the day. This is even appropriate for exercising outdoors because it so water-resistant, and because it forms such a strong barrier. The downside of being so enduring is that it takes a bit of elbow grease and an oil cleanser to remove. A traditional cleanser, even if you wash your face twice, is not going to take care of this.

This is best suited for normal to oily skin types. Because it forms thats barrier, prevents those oils coming through and can really be of help to somebody with combination or oily skin. It would work fine on dry skin, I just think it is a bit heavy on skin that is dry, fragile and sensitive or inflamed. 

Because of its thick texture, even though the main UV filters are mineral, you really dont have to shake it up. It is a thick opaque cream. When you spread it into a nice even sunscreen film, there is a strong white cast. After 20 minutes, it is matte with a strong white cast.

At the end of the day, I would definitely recommend this sunscreen.